Saturday, 22 December 2012

In the Christmas time we should postpone the rattling of weapons and start to think about more spiritual matters.Let me thank to all readers of this website for their interest, let me wish you Merry Christmas....And I cannot imagine better music for this particular occassion than Missa solemnis Festis Nativitatis D. J. Ch. accommodata in linguam bohemicam musikamque redacta – que redacta per Jac. Joa. Ryba - sorry for my Latin. The English translation is Czech Christmas Mass or according to its opening words, it is also known as Hail, Master! or Hey, Master! (in Czech: Hej, mistře!) and the composer was Jakub Šimon Jan Ryba(26 October 1765 – 8 April 1815). He wrote his famous work in 1796.I hope you will like this work as much as I do despite that lyrics of this mass is written in Czech language.Please, do enjoy this opus.

Sunday, 16 December 2012

This is something what you can't see every day. And I found this video in my timeline on Facebook!The fact that even grandmaster of Ivanchuk's calibre can miss the mate in one is surprising and very unchareacteristical. On the other hand this fact just proves that even GM's are ordinary mortals and humans.Simply said: "Nobody's perfect!"

At this point I have to skip what happened on the board 10 because so far I have not received this game and I will proceed to the board 11.11. Ivan David vs Karl PotterPlaying White I chose for rather unambitious opening known as London System. This is something very common at the club level and I have mentioned some strategies in my previous posts. Karl opted for non-nonsense approach and immediately challenged my dark-squared Bishop. Then he decided to exchanged bishops. His strategy led to the blocked position where my very good Knight played against his very bad Bishop. I tried to employ the principle of two weaknesses, alas, this position was bullet-proof. Draw in better position was very sad but inevitable result.

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Kevin MCarthy (right) and I fighting abreast.

12. Steve Wylie vs Kevin McCarthyI am not sure whether Steve was inspired by the game on board 11, however, both player reached the same position in the London system. Steve had a different opinion how to play this line and avoided dark-squared Bishop swap by playing 5.Ne5, but Kevin did not protest to give up his Bishop pair and swapped the Knight for his Bishop! After some other simplifications the position arising can be characterised as a balanced. Two Bishop vs better pawn structure.Kevin finally obtained two passed-pawns on the Queen-side for the price of weakening the position of his King.Before time control both players made several mistakes and draw was agreed in position which was worse (if not even lost) for Black. Make opinion for yourself.Good luck was on the Lincolnshire side this time!
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13. Alastair Summers vs Jim MillerDuch defence was chosen by Jim Miller and the game was equal till the move 13 (!) when Alastair overlooked a fork which cost him an exchange.He had continued fighting but his position was objectively lost. Jim however, was not perhaps happy with his position and material advantage because he offered draw in move 28 which was immediately accepted. The question is: Which position should be played for win if not a position with an exchange up like this?

Sicilian defence in the "Dragon" style had been played where Black kept his King surprisingly in the centre of the board and very uncharacteristically he attacked the White King with h-pawn! Rather wild game with tactical clashes where Stuart kept his opponent in the bay... Just enjoy the game and it was another full point for Lincolnshire.

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15. Denis Georgiou vs Mike CowleyIn the first 14 moves, in the game which started like Giuoco Piano, both players weakened position around their Kings. Denis by his "sortie" h3-g4 and Mike when he allowed the exchange of Knight for Bishop on f6. Then Denis perhaps should have gone after opponent's King with Qd2 planing some activities on the king-side. He swapped his lovely centralised Knight for Bishop on b6. He remained with bad Bishop first, and he allowed Mike to launch some attack on the king-side by h-pawn. The dark squares around his King were rather weak. Then he overlooked a tactical trick which cost him a central pawn. Finally both players exchanged most of pieces and went into the rook and pawns ending where Denis was a pawn down and passive. The end of White King was inevitable.
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16. Philip Harlow vs Graham LaddsA classical line of Caro-Kann was played in solid but not very exciting fashion. One simplification after another led to dead draw pawn ending. White got more space but he could not break very solid Black defence. Very solid performance by Graham.

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Steve’s game is another example of lost chance for full point. And again it was a shortage of theoretical knowledge in the arena of endings which was behind this failure.

Steve played fantastic game, but then both players reached the rook and pawns ending and we had witnessed enormous difficulties on both sides. It was like a roller-coaster ride. Finally the game ended up in theoretically “dead” draw position with rook and a-pawn against rook.

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6. Andy Morely vs Sam MilsonSam played opening very well. French defence and surprisingly enough another Advance variation was played. Sam went for different set-up against 6.a3 line. He achieved better position and then ... he simply blundered. The rest of game was just the matter of technique.

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7. David Coates vs Ray BurgessQueen's Gambit declined, Exchange variation main line was played and the game had been ballanced long time. Then both players reached the ending with four Bishops on the board but White had a distant passed pawn.Under pressure Ray made a mistake.
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8. Brian Galligan vs Harry RussellHarry playing Black had prepared some very difficult moments for his opponent. Playing Grünfeld Indian he got better position, however, as it were emblematic for this match, he did not find the way how to turn his advantage into the final victory. Another good performance and another chance missed.
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9. Nigel Birtwistle vs Chino
NwachukwuSicilian defence was played and Nigel chose for Alapin variation. His opponent went for sharper set-up with 2...d5. Nigel offered a simplification and in my humble opinion he bamboozled his opponent completely. Black's set-up with castling long looks aggressive, however, it seems to be dubious a bit. According to MegaBase 2013 only 8 games was played in this line with stunning score for White - 75%. Chino decided to call it a day in 24 moves! Have look at such an "innocuous" opening! Well done Nigel.
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"Thanks to everyone
who played in yesterday's match. It was a superb effort by all
of the players to inflict a defeat on a Leicestershire team
who always have close matches with. This time however the match was won
well before the last game had finished and the winning margin of 9-7 was well
deserved. The Leicestershire captain told me after the game that he thought that
the result flattered them a little and that we could have won by an even wider
margin. So well done to everyone for making it three wins from our first
three matches. ..."This is a fragment of an e-mail circulated by team captain Nigel Birtwistle after the match with Leicestershire.

GM Mark Hebden

This team has been a Nemesisof the Lincolnshire Team for several years when we kept on losing one tough match after another.And this time Leicester team came to Lincoln with the team beefed up even by GM Mark Hebden!Match was again very tough and Lincolnshire finally gained two points margin and beat its traditional rival 9:7!

Midland Counties Chess Union COUNTY MATCH RESULT
FORM

Section: Minor Counties

Home
Team: Lincolnshire

Away
Team: Leicestershire

Venue: North Hykeham

Date: 15th
December 2012

Team having white on odd boards: Lincolnshire

Result reported by: Nigel Birtwistle

Board

ECF Code

Grade

Home team players’
names

Score

Score

Away Team players’
names

Grade

ECF Code

1

129719D

E197

Andrew Dyce

0

1

Mark Hebden

244

112455K

2

103734B

196

Paul Cumbers

1

0

Alan Byron

193

107857E

3

280840H

193

Claudio Mangione

1

0

Martin Burrows

191

125697L

4

119629H

189

Nick Stead

½

½

Graham Sharpe

196

118781J

5

263507A

186

Steven Prior

½

½

John Denton

190

109613J

6

247736J

185

Samuel Milson

0

1

Andy Morley

173

115787F

7

222105G

183

David Coates

1

0

Ray Burgess

173

107674H

8

216825L

179

Harry Russell

½

½

Brian Galligan

181

287350D

9

106801F

178

Nigel Birtwistle

1

0

Chino Nwachukwu

172

275461H

10

116655E

171

Keith Palmer

½

½

Sean Sheahan

157

118836H

11

772821E

167

Ivan David

½

½

Karl Potter

160

265676A

12

244268B

167

Kevin McCarthy

½

½

Steve Wylie

161

104886H

13

270555C

163

Alastair Summers

½

½

Jim Miller

152

116818G

14

277721G

155

Stuart Macdonald

1

0

Greg Adcock

152

130161F

15

111157H

152

Denis Georgiou

0

1

Mike Cowley

147

108975E

16

113979E

147

Graham Ladds

½

½

Philip Harlow

147

112212C

9

7

The margin could have been even bigger, alas, several Lincolnshire players failed to turn an advantage into the final victory.Let's have look what happened on the boards.1. Andrew Dyce vs GM Mark Hebden

Andy (left) and GM Hebden (right)

Andy playing White on the top board had very difficult position. GM Mark Hebden is recognised specialist in the Open Games. In Exchange variation of Ruy Lopez both players followed theory till move 14 and then Andy came up with certain novelty. Having opened the position, Mark Hebden quickly exploited the advantage of his Bishop pair. His pieces were nicely centralised and well coordinated.... There is not much to say.
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2. Alan Byron vs Paul Cumbers

Paul Cumbers

French Defence, Advance Variation was played and Paul displayed modern treatment with ...Nh6 without early ...Bd7. He kept his King in the centre and launched a king-side attack which was very difficult to parry.Alan Byron was not very happy with the passive defence so he tried to seek some counter-play on the queen-side, however, with the centre blocked Black pieces were bearing down the king-side and finally Paul came up with lovely exchange sac.
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Against his higher rated opponent Nick had played an excellent chess. In French Defence, and again Advance variation was played, he overplayed his opponent, gained an ominously looking passed pawns and finally he turned this positional advantage into decisive material advantage. Unfortunately this means that he entered into the ending King, Bishop and Knight vs King and the problem was how to deliver the mate. The theory of this ending in details you can find here.Alas, Nick did not find the right way of checkmating and finally the draw was agreed. However, he was very close and at certain point he achieved the basic - theoretically well known - wining position.Now have a look at this game in two parts. First part finishes at the point where Nick obtained massive advantage. And like first movement of a symphony we can call this part an "Ecstasy".
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And now, movement two, a "Desperation"
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The good thing was that the match had been already decided so this nerve-raking finale was just a fun and an excitement for the kibitzers.